In The Company of a Stranger
by Madyamisam
Summary: A brief meeting with a stranger no matter how small was all he needed to be content.


Title: In the Company of a Stranger

Author: Madyamisam

Rating: R

Pairing (s): Seto/Jou,

Beta: Jennie B

Spoilers: N/A

Disclaimer: Me no own. Waaah… T___T

Summary: A brief meeting with a stranger no matter how small was all he needed to be content.

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An indignant scowl was etched upon his face as he looked at the idiot that was staring down at him in a state of stupor, but then he supposed that it was to be expected. The huge blond that towered above him gazed down with wide eyes at him, a look of curiosity and intrigue behind beautiful amber eyes. That was what struck Kaiba the most when the boy had finally wrestled him free from that accursed canine.

"Are you alright?" he asked, and Seto couldn't help but roll his eyes at the stupid human.

"I've just been bitten by a dog, you idiot. Do you think that I'm alright?" he yelled. The tiny brunette wasn't in any pain, really, just extremely pissed off that he had let his guard down around a 6 month-old Labrador puppy. The blond teenager ignored the jibe at his intelligence, as he was far too concerned with the bleeding wound on the tiny person's leg.

"Maybe I should take you to a hospital; that wound looks like it'll need stitches." Seto scoffed and stood up.

"It'll be fine; a wound like this will be healed by this evening," Kaiba replied as he brushed down his white trench coat, being careful not to get blood all over it. "Now tell me your wish, let me grant it, and I'll be on my way."

"Eh?" The blond raised an eyebrow. Seto rolled his eyes again at the typical human reaction. Still, it wasn't everyday that he was seen by one, let alone rescued, but fairy law ruled that it was an obligation.

"My name is Seto Kaiba; I'm a leprechaun," he stated as icy blue eyes gauged the boy's reaction. The young human blinked a few times and stared at the fairy with renewed interest.

"Oh, I thought you sounded foreign," he replied casually, much to the fairy's shock. "But don't the leprechauns usually come from Ireland and wear those green jackets and trousers with the black loafers? What are you doing here in Japan?" Kaiba glared at the clueless blond and muttered something about 'typical humans'.

"For your information, that was a stupid misconception that started when a bunch of them thought it would be funny to dress up like that and parade themselves around a human city. Leprechauns are everywhere; ever heard of emigration? You don't think a population of 7 billion would be able to fit on that tiny island, do you?"

"Well, until now I didn't know your kind even existed," the teenager laughed as he rummaged through his backpack. "My name's Jounouchi Katsuya by the way."

"What are you doing?" Seto tried to stretch to see what the human was looking for, when said blond brought out a roll of bandages and a small bottle of antiseptic

"You may be able to heal fast, but it can still get infected right?" he said as he dampened a clean handkerchief with the antiseptic and began to gently clean the wounds. Kaiba was about to complain about it being unnecessary, but the gentle strokes around the wound were quite soothing. After a few minutes of cleaning the wound, the teen wrapped the fairy's leg firmly with bandages. Seto had a feeling that it was pretty unusual for someone to carry a full medical kit everywhere, but he didn't bother to ask why.

"Well, are you going to tell me your wish?" Seto snapped impatiently as soon as the blond had finished playing nurse with him.

"Huh?" Seto sighed, feeling extremely irritated.

"Fairy law. You've just saved my life so I'm obligated to grant you one wish in exchange for your silence to keep our kind a secret. Now hurry up before it gets late and my little brother starts to worry about where I am,"

"Oh, you have a little brother?" Jou grinned and wrapped his arms around his leg, as if expecting to hear a story at a campfire. "I had a sister called Shizuka. She was so cute, and we always used to sneak off to the beach together without our parents knowing." Seto blinked in disbelief that this stranger had suddenly started divulging his life story to him without so much as questioning the incredulity of his existence. "-told off and grounded for a month, but it was worth it. Little brothers and sisters are the best things in the world, aren't they?" Jou finished his monologue about his sister. Kaiba pursed his lips as he thought of Mokuba back at home, waiting for him to finish work.

"Yes, I suppose so," he replied whilst a rare and small smile appeared on his face. The human was quite intriguing, but he had to get going soon. "Anyway, what's your wish? I will need to get back to him soon."

"Hmm… but I can't think of one right now," Jounouchi pouted. "I know! You said your leg will be all better by this evening, right? So why don't you come with me to my place to rest up until then, and I'll think hard of what I want, deal?" Seto sighed. The blond was being difficult.

"Whatever," he replied as he allowed the blond to pick him up and gently place him into his backpack. The leprechaun snuggled into the confines leaving just his head and arms out so he could breathe whilst Jou pulled the zip closer around him to keep him from falling out.

"I'll need to run a very important errand first, if that's ok with you?" Jou asked. "The folks around these parts know that I help out at a children's hospital as a volunteer, so having a doll in my bag isn't going to raise suspicion. Just keep still and no one will think you're real."

"Just hurry up." Seto found it strange how easy it was to trust someone he had just met, but just the brief conversation with the teen was all he had needed to believe his sincerity. As he was carried around, the sun was beginning to set, and he could already feel the magical tingling beneath the tight bandages indicating that his leg was healing nicely. Jounouchi was strolling towards a park and the orange cast a warm autumn glow among the trees. It was a refreshing sight that Seto had never really taken much notice of these days. He was often too busy with either his brother or his company - which specialized in making supplies to deliver to Santa Claus - and occasionally, helping the odd human toy company with its own toy developments under a pseudonym. Something cold, sticky, and sweet interrupted his thoughts as the human grinned down at him, an ice-lolly in his mouth. Kaiba scowled at the blond.

"This was your important errand?" he asked.

"The shop is always promoting new flavors every few weeks, and I had to try out the newest one before it was gone. This week is melon flavored. I think Shizuka would have loved it." Jou smiled as he handed the cold sweet to the brunet fairy, who took it with some difficulty, as the lolly was almost as big as him. The young human, complacent with his small delight, sat patiently on park bench watching wisps of cloud drift by. Seto watched him as he licked the giant ice block, and noted the look of absolute contentment in the boy's face. An hour had passed as they sat in comfortable silence before the blond finally moved.

"Come on, I'll take you to my place," he said when the leprechaun had had enough of his ice cream and threw the barely eaten cone away. The walk was obviously a short one, but for some reason Seto noted that the boy's movements were becoming slower, and he would stop every now and then to admire the flowers or pet the neighborhood cat before finally reaching his apartment. The smell reeked like all the pub toilets in Ireland put together- a mixture of smoke, beer and vomit. Ignoring the fairy's obvious discontent, Jou slipped inside, carefully opening the door and sighing with relief before heading towards his room. Having been assaulted by a horrible smell of rancid meat, Seto was glad when they had entered the blond's bedroom, which was a breath of fresh air in comparison, and extremely neat and tidy as opposed to the dirty rug burns and glass bottles that littered the carpet in the room before. Jou gently lifted the leprechaun and placed him on the worn down pillow before settling himself on the floor. "How's your leg?" Jou asked.

"All better," Seto said as he jumped up and walked around with the grace of royalty. "So, will you tell me your wish now?"

"No, it's ok; you're relieved of your obligation," Jou answered. That was the third time Kaiba had been surprised by the boy.

"I don't know whether to admire your selflessness or berate your stupidity for turning down a wish. There aren't any strings attached, you know."

"I know. I knew the moment I saw you that I could trust you, but really, just having your company with me today was enough for me."

"It doesn't work that way." Seto scowled, folding his arms. Jounouchi pouted and fiddled with the frayed hem of his blue jacket.

"Well ok," Jou said nodding his head. "I wouldn't mind having a bowl of Oyakadon Domburi (1) just like how my mom used to make it."

"You get a once in a lifetime chance to have anything you want, and all you want is bowl of rice? Are you sure?"

"Yep!" Jou nodded vigorously. Seto frowned and attempted to find a deeper intention behind the amber eyes, but all he saw was a feeling of contentment and innocence within those brown orbs. Sighing in resignation, he clicked his fingers and the tingle of familiar fairy magic bubbled inside him. A large, steaming bowl of rice with chicken and egg on top appeared before the blond.

"Waii!! Itadakimasu (2)!!" In awe, Jounouchi devoured the contents, humming about how delicious it was, and how it was just like he remembered. Seto could have just left it at that. He had fulfilled his obligation, and the blond was content, yet he stayed anyway, watching the teen guzzle down his magically conjured food. When the bowl was empty, Jou sighed in satisfaction and flashed a grin towards the fairy. "Thank you Seto," he said. The leprechaun smirked as he stood by the open window. The sun had set now, and he knew that Mokuba was going to be worried about him, yet he felt himself compelled to stay just a little longer with the teen. Gazing at the amber eyes, he noted a slight gleam of sadness. Was it regret?

"I won't see you ever again, will I?" It wasn't really a question but a statement. Seto had no reason to meet up with the human once more, but in that short time they had spent together, those periods of silence and the walk in the park - it had been something he had never experienced before, and in those fleeting moments, he had felt like he had been hanging out with a childhood friend rather than a stranger that he had just met.

"Hmm… you don't seem like many of the humans I've ever known. You seem… nice." Seto smirked when the blond beamed at the compliment. "Maybe I'll come visit again, and I'll bring my brother to meet you too." It was a huge leap. Just hours before, Seto would have avoided all humans like they were the plague, regarding them as lower beings not worth his time. But the boy before him had touched his heart, and an unfamiliar warmth had been ingrained in his memories. For the first time that day, Jounouchi looked surprised, and Seto noticed the glimmer of tears in the corner of the blond's eyes, and an unfamiliar emotion arising from the depths of amber. It had disappeared before Seto could make out what it was, but then perhaps he would get to know the blond a little better on his next visit with his little brother.

"Sure, see ya 'round Seto; I'll leave the window open for you anytime." With that, Seto leapt out of the window and seemed to float down towards the ground. Thankfully, there was a port nearby, so he could get home pretty quickly, and yet something still nagged at him, and he lingered around the building a little longer. There was a car parked nearby with the familiar stench of Jou's living room, but the leprechaun was more preoccupied by the light on the third floor where Jou was. As he was about to leave, cursing his own paranoia, an awful noise and a shout resounded in the building. His head turned automatically towards the window, and to his horror, violent shadows flickered within the room, and the unnatural growl and bellowing of a large man echoed across the streets. Glass shattered, and there was a brief silence before the sound of a gunshot resounded in the air, and a splatter of red painted Jou's window. Standing stock still, Seto felt numb, and only when he saw a gruff looking blonde man stagger down the stairs, blood soaked, with a black 9mm in his hand, did he rush back up to the window. He scrambled into the small opening that Jou had promised to leave for him, only to stare down at a mass of chaos in what was minutes before a clean room. The coppery smell of blood had already filled the air, and tears filled his eyes as he saw a lifeless hand poke out from behind the bed. Carefully, he entered the room and touched the hand with his own. It was still warm- as the boy had been alive just moments ago.

"Idiot, you could have…" Seto cursed as he wept silently, stroking the teen's hand. As he dared to stare into the boy's lifeless eyes, ignoring the blood stained golden hair, he noted that the boy looked peaceful and happy. He gazed into the amber eyes that looked through him, and in that instant he saw everything. _"I had a sister called Shizuka…" _Then he noticed for the first time the newspaper clipping on a pin board nearby. More tears welled up as he read the 10-year-old obituary. "I see…" he replied, and he returned to the blond's side, feeling the last vestiges of warmth from the blond's body fade away into the night. 'Who knew someone who had been living a hollow and empty life could finally find contentment in the company of a complete stranger?'

**Owari**

1. Popular rice bowl dish, that is translated literally as Mother and Child Bowl

2. A Japanese statement said before partaking a meal. I only used it because I can't think of an appropriate English counterpart without making it sound stupid.


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